It probably had an impact in making me passionate about film-making and think of the screenplay.
There is absolutely nothing about Hindi films that hasn't intrigued me over the years.
In fact, being able to watch Hindi movies as they released Friday after Friday made me happy. They kept me going in tough times. Today, I am chasing my Bollywood dream which is well on its way to becoming a reality. I have reached a point where I have the resources to combine my passion for the movies and my business acumen to venture into an industry I have been long fascinated by. I just took the time to build this base and be involved in a movie project in its totality as a producer.
I am producing a biopic called Chandu.
It is about the life and untimely death of Chandrashekhar Prasad, former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU). He was known for championing the cause of underprivileged students from economically challenged sections of society. The film deals with many facets of his personality and character, against the vibrant background of his college days and his transition to politics.
I first heard about him while he was still alive and I was studying to be a chartered accountant in Delhi. When I moved to the Middle East, I would keep hearing about him from my friends. Then, in 1997 he was murdered. There were allegations that it was a politically motivated killing.
The movie has some of the necessary elements of a Bollywood film like music, action and romance. The shoot is scheduled for October-December this year and we will be shooting on location in JNU, New Delhi and Bihar. The film will feature prominent actors. Well known filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is its creative director.
I am also producing a short film called Haq - the Right. It is a crisp 40-minute narrative that looks at the simple feelings a child can experience from his perspective, when his parents get divorced. He wants to know why they cannot be together. I drew inspiration for this movie from the real-life incidents in the life of a family friend.
Honestly, I've always wanted to be part of a meaningful project.
My requirements from these projects were simple: they must entertain, should carry a strong message and tell a story that deserves to be told. My experiences thus far have been very positive, and I expect that the fraternity will judge me only on the basis of my work.
Dubai taught me several important lessonsin work ethic.
I learnt to never compromiseon quality. I also learnt to never commit to something I cannot deliver. I prefer to turn down deals than not meet deadlines.
I have dabbled in many ventures.
However, I had no prior experience in business. I came to work in Saudi Arabia in 1994 as an accounts executive. My first salary was equivalent to Dh1,000. Then I landed in Dubai in 1997 with a fairly modest salary of Dh2,500. Here I saw big opportunities coming my way. I worked in a company owned by Dubai-based businessman Jamshed Mehdi, also a family friend. In April 2003, he allowed me to open an Indian restaurant called Curry Café in Dubai Airport Free Zone, where our office was located. In the same year, I opened another restaurant in Ajman called Indian Curry.
Towards the end of 2003, during a chat with a friend, I realised that there was a dearth of companies offering quality packaging of products. This prompted meto set up another business andI bought two machines and hired six employees. For office space, I rented a warehouse owned by Mehdi in Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah. Today I have 120 employees working in five warehouses located in Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. My Dubai-based packaging firm, Visions Corporation Packaging, is the only ISO-certified mass packaging unit in the UAE. It services FMCG clients in various categories.
The packaging business grew, and because of it I found it difficult to pay much attention to the daily functioning of my restaurants. By 2005, I sold them. I diversified into other businesses, like real estate, trading companies and event management. I have organised and sponsored several star-studded evenings. Three years back I was invited to join India Club as its director and currently I handle its events portfolio. This brought me close to senior Bollywood actors like Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah and Mahesh Bhatt.
The latter continues to be a mentor and together we have discussed screenplays. He always encouraged me to step in as a producer but I was always reluctant. It was not because I have never formally studied film-making but because I wanted to make a meaningful film. It was after watching movies like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots, which deliver a social message, that I finally decided to produce a Bollywood film.
I come from a modest background.
I was born and raised in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, India. I am one of five children, four boys and a girl. In 1986 I graduated in commerce from Aligarh Muslim University and then from 1986-89 pursued a course in chartered accountancy in New Delhi.
I dropped out of the course when the opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia came up. The decision was impulsive, driven by the need to support my family as my father was the only earning member. By moving abroad, I contributed in my own way.
Today, I am happily married. My wife, Deeba, and I have three children - our son Fadi is ten, while daughters Manal and Fatin are nine and three respectively.
